Racial Inequality and Mental Health in Scotland
Published on 1 September, 2021.
Within the context of the policy initiatives in this area, and the powerful anti-racist drivers to this work, we set out to explore whether our mental health services are culturally competent as described as an aim in Fair for All, whether the aims of the REF are being met in terms of health outcomes (theme six) and whether our mental health services show participation at all levels (theme five), and to hear in 2021, what people with lived experience of mental illness and their carers and family from diverse ethnic groups feel about access to services; and finally to understand how well we at the Commission are doing in ensuring that the Commission acts as a safeguard for all communities. The terms of reference for this work included: • To identify areas we report on and to consider how we incorporate ethnic diversity reporting into this. • To identify experiences, the barriers and problems that people from an ethnic minority with lived experience of mental health difficulties and illness and their carers experience in accessing and receiving support from mental health services and advocacy services. • To identify training offered and accessed to professionals and the perceived challenges to services and the professionals working within these in ensuring access to services and support for people from ethnic minorities and how are these met. • To identify and report on what health boards delivering mental health services have done to include diversity at different levels • To consider how well the functions of the Commission in terms of visiting, the advice line, and investigations work are discharged for ethnic minority groups